Washing machine



April 8, 1952 o. F. QUARTULLO ETAL 2,592,330

WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET l ORPHEUS E QUAR TULLO HENRY BA A05 58 B @Md/m QWMa/W April 1952 o. F. QUARTULLO ET AL 2,592,330

' WASHING MACHINE 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1947 BAADE By Wa /170a fiMa/m/ JhL/EHZZRS Cap/15 05 E QUAR T041. 0

HENRY Patented Apr. 8, 1 952 2,592,330 WASHiNG MACHINE Orpheus F. Quartullo and Henry Baade, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 3, 1947, Serial No. 720,011

'7 Claims. 1 This invention relates to agitators for washing machines, and, more particularly, is concerned with agitators for clothes washing machines; the agitators being adapted to have relative movement with respect to the tub containing the clothes and water to effect a washing action, and the agitator being adapted to be expanded to have a clothes squeezing or wringing action.

Heretofore, various types and shapes of agitators have been used in conjunction with clothes washing machines, the agitators being given various types of movement including rotary, oscillating, reciprocating, and the like. Many known agitators are quite hard on clothes, tending to tear, bruise or wear them out during the agitating action, whereas other known agitators fail to achieve the most desirable type of agitating and washing action.

Moreover, it has been proposed heretofore to employ expandable diaphragms in association with a clothes washing tub to effect a squeezing action on the clothes to remove Water therefrom in a wringing cycle of the apparatus. However, known squeezing diaphragms of the type described have in most instances experienced dif ficulty in squeezing water from clothes positioned around the agitator. In fact, the agitator by its usual paddle shaped construction tends to provide pockets into which the clothes may lodge to prevent effective action of the squeezer diaphragm thereon.

It is the general object of our invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to known apparatus by the provision of an improved agitator for use in clothes washing machines, our improved agitator being characterized by a flexible, swishing blade action to achieve high quality washing results with a minimum of wear, and being further characterized by having the agitator expansible to eliminate the pockets in the agitator during a squeezing action.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved agitator for clothes washing machines, and the like, the agitator having a flexible covering which is adapted to be expanded to efiect a squeezing and wringing action on clothes, generally in conjunction with a squeezer diaphragm mounted as a lining for the tub of the washer.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an agitator characterized by simplicity of structure, relative inexpensiveness of construction and maintenance, and havingflexible blade portions with flexible pocket forming areas and flexible tip portions adapted to give clothes an unusual swishing and wiping-washing action.

Another object of our invention is to provide an agitator having flexible paddle portions mounted for movement with a center hub, the paddle portions being adapted, or having coverings which are adapted to be expanded by in ternal fluid pressure to transform the external surface of the agitator into conical or dome-like or cylindrical surface to assist in or to perform a squeezing action upon clothes or the like contained in the washing inachine.

The foregoing objects of our invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by the provi sion of a clothes washing machine including a tub, an agitator in the tub, means for effecting relative movement between the agitator and the tub, a fluid tight flexible covering over the agitator, and means to expand the covering to move the covering away from the agitator and into closer proximity or into squeezing relation with the clothes contained in the tub. Usually, the covering is adapted to be moved into substantially a dome shape, although the shape may be conical or cylindrical depending upon the shape of the agitator. Usually, the agitator includes a metal hub portion and metal reenforcing means for the paddle-like portions of the agitator, the covering in its collapsed or normal state preferably serving as flexible portions of or extensions of the paddles to provide a particularly resilient and flexible agitating action on the clothes. The reenforcing means for the cover may also be such that the cover or flexible portions of the paddle will form concave pockets alternately on opposite sides of the paddles as the agitator is oscillated in the tub.

For a better understanding of our invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is 'a side elevation, partly broken away, of a washing machine incorporating the principles of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line IIII of Fig. l, and illustrating the shape of the agitator paddles when in motion;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line IVIV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating a modification of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

It will be appreciated that the principles of our invention can be employed with a variety of washing machines including rotatable agitators, horizontal axes agitators, and the like. However, our invention is best adapted for use with a vertical axis substantially conical. oscillated type agitator, and hence has been so illustrated and will be so described.

In the drawings, the numeral it) indicates generally the casingv of the washing machine, which casing carries a tub l2 of flattened, substantially spherical shape, the tub l2 having a flexible lining l4 of rubber or other flexible material which is secured to the top edge of the tub, as at I6, and to the bottom of the tub adjacent the outer periphery of the bottom of the agitator, as at I8. Fluid under pressure is adapted to be supplied between the lining I4 and the tub l2 and this can be achieved in a plurality of ways, for example, by mean of the hydraulic control .mechanism indicated as a whole by the numeral 20 which may include a pump or a hydraulic accumulator, or which merely contains valves for applying line pressure between the tub and lining. Inflating or expanding the lining l4 will move it out to the dotted line position 22 to effect a squeezing or wringing action on the clothes or other material contained in the washing machine, the excess water in the clothes being squeezed out through the lid 24 or under the bottom of the agitator to suitable drain openings, as described in the co-pending application of Henry Baade, Serial No. 95,399, filed May 26, 1949, the latter being a division of application Serial No. 661,963, filed April 13, 1946, and now abandoned.

Mounted upon a vertical axis in the tub l2 and adapted to be oscillated by mechanism indicated as a whole by the numeral 26, or otherwise rotated, is an agitator identified as a whole by the numeral 30. Obviously the agitator 30 may take any one of a plurality of shapes, and many have been suggested to achieve the best type of washer action, but for purposes of illustration our improved agitator conveniently takes the form of a tube or hub portion 32, see Fig. 4, which hub is keyed to a hollow shaft extending vertically through the bottom of the tub, the shaft 34 being adapted to be oscillated or rotated by the mechanism 26, all substantially in accord with known practice. Secured to the bottom of or formed integrally with the hub 32 is a substantially circular bottom plate 36 having a grooved periphery 38. At spaced points around the hub 32 and bottom plate 36, for example, at three points spaced one hundred and twenty degrees apart, rods 40 are mounted, the lower ends of the rods 40 being received and welded fluid-tight in appropriately reenforced holes in the plate 36, and the upper ends of the rods being carried by a collar 42 secured adjacent the upper end of the hub 32. The rods 40 are preferably inclined inwardly in the manner best shown in Fig. 4.

Surrounding the structure thus provided is a flexible covering member 44, usually made of rubber or rubber-like material which may, if desired, be reenforced with flexible fabric, the rubber member 44 being preferably molded in the shape illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4. The bottom end of the rubber member or cover 44 is formed with a circular flange 46 which is secured at its periphery in the groove 38 by a lock ring 48 in sealed, fluid-tight relation with the bottom plate 36 of the agitator. The upper end of the rubber member or cover 44 is secured by a sealing and locking flange 50 against the collar 42 carried on the hub. Preferably the rubber member or cover 44 is formed with portions 52 which extend radially beyond the rods 40, so that as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, portions of the rubber member cover 44 extend radially beyond the reenforcing rod to provide a flexible tip action indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 to give an unusual swishing, wiping, or beater action of a particularly gentle but effective nature upon clothes contained in the tub. In addition, the portions of the rubber member or cover 44 laying radially inside the rods 40 will tend to cup inwardly upon movement of the agitator to form pockets upon alternative sides of each paddle portion of the agitator during the oscillating movement of the agitator to further provide an unusual agitating action upon the clothes being washed.

Fig. 2 best illustrates the flexible action of the agitator paddles when the agitator is oscillated. In solid lines in this figure We have shown an approximation of the paddle shape when the agitator is moving in the direction of the solid arrow. In dotted lines we have illustrated the approximate shape when the agitator is moving in the direction of the dotted arrow.

In order to supply fluid under pressur to the interior of the rubber member or cover 44, any desired flexible or rotary conduit or connection maybe used, however, Fig. 4 illustrates one such mechanism as including a tube 53 which is secured to the shaft 34, the tube 53 having an opening 56 communicating through an opening in the hub 32 to the interior of the covering 44. Fluid under pressure will be supplied to the tube 53 by the mechanism 20 at the same time that fluid under pressure is supplied between the tub I2 and the lining [4, the fluid under pressure supplied to the interior of the covering 44 being adapted to move it out, for example, to substantially the dotted lines 58, see Figs. 1 and 3, where the covering will have substantially a dome-like or conical shape to effect a squeezing or wringing action on the clothes, such squeezing or wringing action usually being in conjunction with the lining 14 of the tub, the clothes being squeezed between the lining l4 and the agitator cover 44 as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the letter C indicates the'clothes.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 is very similar to that heretofore described, the main feature of difference being that the rods 40 of the previous embodiment are replaced with sheet metal or other metal means 40 which support a rubber member or cover 44 over substantially the entire inner area thereof. However, in the same manner as illustrated in Fig. 4, the metal reenforcing means 40 terminate radially short of the outer edges of the rubber member or cover 44 as at 52 so that the unusual swishing and wiping action heretofore described will be achieved in this embodiment of the invention as well. Inasmuch as the remaining features of the form of the invention of Figs. 5 and 6 are very similar to those heretofore described, they will not be further discussed.

From the foregoing it will be recognized that the various objects of our invention have been achieved by the provision of a relatively inexpensive, practical structure adapted to facilitate the squeezing and wringing of clothes in a tub of a washing machine without any wet pockets being provided or encountered, and with the agitator being characterized by an unusual swishing, wiping, or willowy agitator action.

It should be particularly understood that many of the features of the invention are retained even though the metal means reenforcing the rubber covering for the agitator are extended to support the entire inner surface of the rubber cover. Also, it is to be noted that in some washing machine installations we may find it unnecessary to expand the rubber cover for the agitator, and in these instances the rubber agitator functioning as heretofore described is believed to possess prac- I tical merit of its own.

While in accord with the patent statutes we have particularly illustrated and described at least one embodiment of the invention, it is to be clearly understood that we are not to be limited thereto or thereby, but that the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A washing machine for clothes and the like including a tub, an agitator mounted substantially vertically in the tub, the agitator having a hub portion, a plurality of radially-positioned, oircumferentially-spaced beater means secured to the hub portion, said beater means being incilned inwardly towards the hub portion in a vertical direction, a hollow fluid-impervious flexible cover over the beater means, said cover conforming generally to the shape of the beater means and secured in fluid-tight relation to the top and bottom of the agitator, means for oscillating the agitator, a fluid-impervious flexible lining inside the tub and secured thereto by a fluid tight joint adjacent the upper and lower portions of the tub, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the inside of the cover and intermediate the tub and the lining to squeeze liquid out of clothes contained in the tub.

2. A washing machine for clothes and the like including a tub, an agitator mounted substantially vertically in the tub, the agitator having a hub portion, a plurality of radially-positioned, circumferentially-spaced beater means secured to the hub portion, said beater means being inclined inwardly towards the hub portion in a vertical direction, a hollow fluid-tight flexible cover over the beater means, said cover conforming generally to the shape of the beater means and secured in fluid-tight relation to the top and bottom of the agitator, means for moving the agitator, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the inside of the cover to squeeze liquid out of clothes contained in the tub.

3. A Washing machine for clothes and the like including a tub, an agitator mounted in the tub, the agitator having a hub portion, a plurality of radially positioned, circumferentially spaced beater means secured to the hub portion, a hollow fluid-tight flexible cover over the beater means, said cover conforming generally to the shape of the beater means and secured in fluidtight relation to the top and bottom of the agitator, means for moving the agitator, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the inside of the cover to squeeze liquid out of clothes con tained in the tub.

4. A washing machine for clothes and the like including a tub, an agitator mounted in the tub, the agitator having a hub portion, a plurality of radially positioned, circumferentially spaced beater means secured to the hub portion, a hollow fluid-tight flexible cover over the beater means, said cover conforming generally to the shape of the beater means and secured in fluidtight relation to the top and bottom of the agitator, means for oscillating the agitator, a fluidtight flexible lining inside the tub and secured thereto by a fluid tight joint adjacent the upper and lower portions of the tub, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the inside of the cover and intermediate the tub and the lining to" squeeze liquid out of clothes contained in the tub. 5. A washing machine for clothes and the like including a tub, an agitator mounted substan-' tially vertically in the tub, the agitator having a hub portion, a plurality of radially-positioned, circumferentially-spaced beater means secured to the hub portion, each of said beater means including an inclined rod, a hollow fluid-tight flex ible cover over the beater means, said cover conforming generally to the shape of the beater means and secured in fluid-tight relation to the top and bottom of the agitator, said cover extending radially beyond the rod and having a flexible out of clothes contained in the tub.

6. A washing machine for clothes and the like including a tub, an agitator mounted in the tub, the agitator having a hub portion, a plurality of radially-positioned, circumferentially-spaced beater means secured to the hub portion, each of said beater means including an inclined rod, a hollow fluid-tight flexible cover over the beater means, said cover conforming generally to the shape of the beater means and secured in fluidtight relation to the top and bottom of the agitator, said cover extending radially beyond the rod and having a flexible tip portion which wipes back and forth over the clothes upon movement of the agitator, the cover radially inside the rod bending to form a cup, means for moving the agitator, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the inside of the cover to squeeze liquid out of clothes contained in the tub.

7. A washing machine for clothes and the like including a tub, an agitator mounted in the tub, the agitator having a hub portion, a plurality of radially-positioned, circumferentially-spaced beater means secured to the hub portion, each of said beater means including a paddle member, a hollow fluid-tight flexible cover over the beater means, said cover conforming generally to the shape of the beater means and secured in fluidtight relation to the top and bottom of the agitator, said cover extending radially beyond each paddle member and having a flexible portion which wipes back and forth over the clothes upon movement of the agitator, means for moving the agitator, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the inside of the cover to squeeze liquid out of clothes contained in the tub.

ORPHEUS F. QUART'ULLO. HENRY BAADE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,547,266 Robe July 28, 1925 1,619,637 Schroeder Mar. 1, 1927 1,629,391 Kemp May 17, 1927 2,199,027 Litle Apr. 30, 1940 2,212,373 Litle Aug. 20, 1940 2,265,516 Chayie Dec. 9, 1941 2,279,878 Suits Apr. 14, 1942 2,335,560 Crane Nov. 30, 1943 2,356,312 Gerhardt Aug. 22, 1944 2,407,660 Graham Sept. 17, 1946 2,421,242 Clark May 27, 1947 2,449,634 Baade Sept. 21, 1948 

